Summer is the time for cheerful music, festivals and overall good vibes. However, the past years – the lockdowns and social distancing – have changed how we celebrate summer. Remote yet accessible virtual experiences have become more important and familiar to people.
Finnish candy brand Panda brought a mini-festival inside its candy bags.
| Client | Panda |
| Campaign Design | Bob the Robot / NoA Finland |
| Campaign Design & Artist Management | Universal Music Group Finland |
| Artists | Paul Elias, VIIVI |
| XR Production | Arilyn |
Panda's XR experience promoted a fun and fuzzy summer atmosphere consisting of tasty liquorice, mellow music from Finnish artists Paul Elias and VIIVI, and summery visuals in an accessible yet intimate environment - the comfort of your own mobile browser.
"The idea was that in addition to the main prize - an actual private mini-festival - we could share exclusive content with everyone who purchased a bag of Lakumix. While creating a reason to buy, we simultaneously added exclusive and unique content to the product, thus offering added value," Panda's Marketing Manager Anna Willberg explains.
Matching vibes, brands and people in online experiences
The pandemic pushed us a few years into the future. We are all now more accustomed to remote experiences and more versatile online content. Panda's journey towards intangible and more experience-based rewards in their campaigns has been a no-brainer.
"After 2 extraordinary years of basically no events, we knew people were craving for experiences. So when Universal Music Group contacted us, and we agreed on the collab with VIIVI and Paul Elias, it was clear we somehow wanted to utilize XR," Willberg explains.
"Arilyn and their technology have been part of our Easter egg experience for many years. As we feel XR will play a big role in consumer engagement in years to come, we want to utilize it on a larger scale once the right opportunity arises. The collab with VIIVI and Paul Elias provided us with the right opportunity."
The Metaverse era and extended reality indeed bring more exciting collaboration opportunities. For Panda and Universal Music Finland, the right kind of match was important.
"The outcome is amazing. Not only is the brand fit between the artists and Panda spot on, but the content itself sounds and looks amazing!" Panda's Willberg adds.
"Both Paul Elias and VIIVI were very excited about this opportunity and are happy with the result. The online space has an intimate feel," Universal Music Finland's Head of Music & Brands, Milka Murto, says.
More possibilities to connect in the Metaverse
Extended reality and other Metaverse applications add new dimensions to traditional commercial campaigns. Audiences can get added value from their purchases, and brands can reach new audiences more easily.
"Panda is a messenger for relaxation. The XR experience that we designed and produced together brings an engaging, experiential and delightful dimension to the campaign," says Bob the Robot's Project Director, Mira Sallanko.
Delivering brand messages and connecting with audiences through remote and online experiences drive us towards new ways of doing things.
"XR and the Metaverse enable fans all over Finland - and the world - to attend gigs. It is terrific that everybody can enjoy music. We believe that the past two bizarre years have pushed virtual gigs as a permanent part of artists' future, right by live gigs' side.
We have already seen a lot of incredible global examples of the possibilities XR holds. For example, the spectacle-like ABBA Voyage concert series held earlier this year. In the future, artists could possibly perform in multiple places at once and execute their tours more ecologically," Murto wonders.
You can see a teaser experience here (in Finnish).
